Combination laundry and service wagon



g- 8, 1950 I J. J. GROSS I 2,518,309

COMBINATION LAUNDRY AND SERVICE WAGON Filed Feb. 28, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheetl Fig. I. CM-a 84 64 W 8 I v 29 27' 54' Inventor James J. Gross Aug. 8,1950 :J. J. GROSS 2,518,309

COMBINATION LAUNDRY AND SERVICE WAGON Filed Feb. 28, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet2 5 T Fig.3.

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i 13 I5 I0 l 74 74 2 I v t 73 men 07 James J. Grass 7 WWW 19MB J- J.GROSS COMBINATION LAUNDRY AND SERVICE WAGON Aug. 8, 1950 Filed Feb. 28,1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m R m wk 3 a w, I m m n p NH I. m R w o mm k mm 1N 2 .01 N D 9 mm v mm 3 mm mm k mm ww E w Nu m mm mm km N my mm mm mm wmon I in no 9 8 5 vv w BN BQ 3 2 a r 1 m 3% NN N mm mm 1% mm mm B .6!" kmN l lfi 9 m mm n QT h m mm 8 flw ww wm lure/110!" James J. Gross D IW406 my a Aftorneys Patented Aug. 8, 1950 I IhomnlNAirmm-liggfgnmstarlet:

fi filaims.

Mvinvention relates tb hnprovementsdn combination lanndryandfservicewagons for' household juse especi'ally. v whe pri'mary object ofmynnvention-iS to-pro videe slmply c hstrueted wegonequlpped espeeiallyfor (use as an -'-'ironing"s-tand -an'd table and embodying convenientlyaeeessible storage acilities 'for clothes-,mr-btherarticles. 1 7 Another'objeet- -is to I provide e. wagon of the character endfortheppurposenloove set 'ierth embodying an ironing --fboard 1 arrangedfor easy projection out of a wheeled odblnet "for use as desired,- -and'for retne'tetion into said -cabinet-easily and qulekly into hiddenstoredaposition when net i n 'use.

f-Anotherl-ob'ject is toiprovide in suehe-n u-wagon improved''brshemeansifor holding the wagonsta tionary endvrendering the samesafeitcr nse, -partion'larly-Ilni-lron'ing'.

: stil lwanether obi eet is to provlde a. wagon for the purpo'sesabove'set forth -mhlch is eempaetly arranged, eesy zto'z handle, mdeomparatively' inexpensive to manufactune and-senvice;

lather e-an'd mbernmate :objeotsv; also momprehendediloy my invention,togethe with the:preelse nature ofmy improvements, and flthe manifoldadvantages thereof, will ibew-read-ily understood whenrthe-suooeedingmescrintiomand :olaims areread:witmreferenee'rtonhetlmwlngs eocompany ingkand formlnein'airtofsfthisasjpeclfioation.

-.-'Eigurel' a mm :in aperspeotieesof imyiimprovedzeiombinationr'lauudxyemd senvieezwaeoni inwpreferredsembodimentkthereof. V

figure z islawiewiinflaottomlplan, ami'guneiasissa.'viewainwer-tiealxleneiwflmalsec tion, 7

zFi-g'nrenzis e l-view in ve'rtloe; 'tmnsverseeseetion takemonitheznmmwofimgure Figure 55 ism W56!!! 11 wertieal :sectlon teken on the'line 5 5 Mliilgnre'fianwdrawnto a;larger sealevwith palrtsvhroken :anvay,

Figure aiviewiinrpianwiththe top panel removewand illus-tratmg theironing -boatd fpr'oe wingseunfolded', v

- is a vlew. long'itudindl -seetiomtaken onixthe -linefl'-ln Figurefi;

Eignre' il sis a fragmentary' "v' lejw- 'in'snlan *drawn to a largerseale and illustretlngwh'e manner in Whicm thewings are unfoldedandfdldefi.

Referring new to fihe drawings bymlim r lsi-inthepr'eferred"illustratedemboi'llmentfithereofimy mpr vedlenndry and :srrice wagon :comprises a 'reetangular.fhoiizontdllgfwheel supportedplatierm I inolndlngr'zfront and "rear .end :cross' bars 12, .3;side-bars 4', anfintermediate' central ,cross bar "5, and t a platformpanel '8 suitably fixed :on

the side fibers L5 extendin between the frontiand,

rear'legs l'l), i'flrupon-lopposite sides Gfjthenebinet-"with a centralcrossbar '16 extending .be-

tween'the'same. .Atoppanel ,fl .f0r;,lthe cabinet I: isv supported by{front end rear .cross Things 18, llaextending betweenithelpairs offront andlrear legs to, l, I, and by side harsizll extendinefibetweenthe legs "I 0', ti upon opposite. sides of Q the .eabinet with a central,crossiber 2| extending between the same. A horizontal partition panel22, ill-511118 celbi'nets, is .spacedbelow the .top panel ll 1 and ppefl'hrrrontend rear cross lbars 23, '14., also .yexten'ding between .thepairs of .front rear legs [0, fl, and :by v side hers '25 also extending'between the frontendrear legs 10, 1 upon opposite sides .ofhthecahinetsandlhavin an (intermediate, connecting .cr'oss Iharliextendinggbetweenltheflsame. Hontand rear" end wall panels 21,'28,.land -side wall panels 129 are provlded for "the cabinet 9.

The space hetweensthe '0? panel l1 ,and the partition panel 2zprovideshal-storage.chamberlfl for aniroriinglboardmresently.deserihedfiandnto which aecess isitprnvided i0: byalpalirof uppercompanion doors 3| in the front end wallmanel 21 hinged," as.e,t a2,.toopposite.sidetedgesvof. said Panel, 110 .QDen outwardly in opposition011 springszia'3 iconnectedrat ,eoneeend, .as uatfiflhtosaiid doorswithithe ,othervends thereof .suite'lblylfixe'din;said.chamher;3.0,.1.as at 35.. .Thedoorsliil'llare adapted to closean upperlfront ,end doorway 36 "in "the "front end panel '2?! end front,end lot the :ehamberjaflendextendin irom .one le "[0 drawers 38 areguided between front and rear cross guide bars 39, 49 in the chamber 31and imposed on the panel 12, and a vertical spacer frame 41 provided inthe chamber 31 in the transverse center thereof and reinforcing the sidepanels 29 and the partition panel 22.

The space between the bottom panel l2 of the cabinet 9 and the platformpanel 6 is designed to form arack for suitable baskets, for containingclothes or the like, and which have not been illustrated since the sameform, per so, no part of the present invention.

36 for endwise sliding and vertical movement to be projected out of thedoorway 36 for use of the same, or, retracted into said chamber 30 forstorage purposes, and which will now be described.

The ironing board 42 comprises a substantially T-shaped base panel 43with its wider end slidably fitting between the sides of the doorway 36andbetween horizontal side bars 44 extending along 'thepartition panel22 on top thereof between' the front and rear legs l0, ll upon oppositesides of the cabinet .9. The base panel 43 is provided with a relativelynarrower tapering front end section 45 in the longitudinal centerthereof and best shown in Figure 6. Surmounting the sectionj45 is anironing section 46 relatively narrower than the doorway 36 and centeredlongit'udinally of the'ba'se panel '43 with a front taper-ed noseportion 4! and straight parallel sides 48 behind said portion 41. Theironing section 46 is spaced above the base section 43 by fortudinalslot 64' in said outer section, and said inner section 60 is providedwith an inner end screw plug 66, all for a purpose to be explained. Aclip type, resilient latch 61 is provided on the front end of panel 21of the cabinet 9 for gripping the outer section 59 of the handle '58 toyieldingly latch said handle in upright position, as shown in Figure 1,when the handle is; not in use.

A pair oflbrake levers. 68 are pivoted intermediate the ends thereof, asat 69, in notches 10 in the side bars 4 to be swung horizontally,counter-clockwise as viewed in Figure 2, into braking position-to applybrake shoes H thereon to the front wheels 1' and thus prevent the wagonfrom creeping or drifting. A brake equalizing bar I2 extends across thebottom of the platform I with its ends slidable inslotted guide rails 13suitably wardly, converging, side spacer bars 49 and a rear abutmentforming bar'50, as bestshown inFigure '7, a distance less, than theheight of the doorway 36, and the chamber 30, and for apurpose presentlyseen. A coil spring 5! attached at one end, as at 52, in the center of.a rear cross bar 5| on the panel 43 withits other end attached, as at53, to a cross bar 54 in the chamber 39, normally serves to retract'theironing board 42 into the cabinet 9 and chamber 36. A pair oftriangular, folding, side wings 55 are'hinged, as 2112 56, to the sides43 of the ironing section 46 to be unfolded outwardly and downwardlyinto the plane of said section 46 to impart to said section a wedgeshape in plan, said wings 55 being suitably hinged to be folded oversaid section 46 flat against the samewhen not in use, as shown indotted'lines in Figure 8. The wings '55 are designed to extencl'thewidth of the ironing section 46, at its rear end, to substantially thatof the cabinet 6. Ledges 56 are provided on the inner sides of the doors3|, at the upper front corners thereof, to supportthe Wings '55 whensaid wings are unfolded. A cross cleat 51 is pro vided on'the basesection 43 and spaced from the abutment forming bar 59 for a purpose tobe explained.

A tongue 58 is provided for pulling thewagon from place to' place andwhich comprises a pair ofouter and inner telescopic, tubular sections59, 69, the outersection 59 being fixed, intermediate its ends, as by aband 6!, between the outer ends of a pair of fork forming rods 52 havinglateral outturned inner ends 63 journaled in bearings 64 on the fronten'd'cross bar 2 of the platform I so that said tongue 58 is verticallyswingable." A cross rod'65 in the outer end ofthe section 59 providesfor obtaining a firm hand grip on said tongue 58. As best shown inFigure 5, theinner section 60 is endwiseslidable with a frictionfit inthe outer section 59 by means of a lateral handle 64' on said innersection extending out of a longisecuredlto the undersides of the sidebars 4 of the platform I, the arrangement being such that said i i g filq pl vr-werd z'aed e w r of said front Wheels 7 A pair of brakeapplying bars 14 pivoted, as at 15, to said levers 68, and to saidequalizing bars IL-as at T6, operatively connect the equalizing bar l'Z-to the. brake levers 68 so that rearward movement of said equalizing bar'l2 acts to applythebrakeshoes H, and forward movementofsaid equalizingbar 12 acts to release said brake shoes. A coiLspring-TI having its endsconnected tosaid equalizing bar 12, in the transverse center thereof,and to the rear end bar3 oftheplatforrnl, as at l8, l9, urges theequalizing bar; 12 rearwardly ,to normally apply the br .ze shoes II. Apull cable 89 is anchored at one end in the plug 66, as at 8|, andtrained under a pulley 8 2 on the front end cross bar 2 of the platformI.-- withits other end attached, as at 83, to the ;.equali zing bar 12,inthe transverse center thereof, whereby, when-the inner section 60 ofthe tongue 58 is slid forwardly of said tongue, the brake equalizinglever I2 is pulled forwardly in opposition to the coil spring I? tocause release of thebrakeshoes H in a manner which will be clear. Thusthe brakes are look applied by frictional engagement ofthe innersectionSO of the tongue53 with, the outer section 59 of said handle.'Anend notch84 may be provided in slot 64. andrintowwhich thehandle 64may be swung to .positively lock the brake equalizing lever 12 in aforward brake shoe applying position,

As best shown in Figures ;3 and .4; when the ironingsboard flisstored inthe cabinet 9 and chamber39,.the samerests on the partition panel 22with the wings 55 folded on top thereof, and. the end doors 3| maythenbe closed'to hide said board and close said chamber. To use the ironingboard 42, the doors 3| are opened and said board-.142 slidaforwardly outof the doorway 36 and then elevated so that the abutment forming bar 50and the cleat. 5T straddle the top edge of the doorway 36, and-thebase-panel 43 abuts said edge, in which positionof said board, theironing panel 46 may be, adjusted to position the same flush andcoplanar with the top panel ll of the cabinet 9. For adjusting andmaintaining the ironingpanel 46in elevated-position, a pair ofsubstantially semicircular cams'85, with. straight. side edges 86 areprovided on the opposite ends of a cross shaft ill-journaled in the sidebars 25 for operation .;by;an;end crank 88 thereon to rotate said cams 8upwa rdly through slots 89 in the partition paneI ZZ, such rotation ofsaid cams serving to engage corners thereof, as shown inFi'gure 'Lwiththe base panel 43 to elevate the rear. endof she ironing board, 42 untilthe crossbar 5l"engag'es the top' panel I! and stops further elevationof the rear end of said ironing board. Further rotation of said cams 85in the same direction serves to maintain said rear end of the ironingboard 42 elevated until the straight edges 86 of the earns 35 areuppermost, at which point, said ironing board 42 may be lowered at itsrear end. An aperture 90 is provided in the front end of the section 49of the ironing board 42, and the tongue 58 is arranged to be inserted insaid aperture in a forwardly swung position, as shown in Figure '7, toengage the ironing panel 41 to hold the front end of the ironing board42 in elevated position with the ironing section 41 flush and coplanarwith the top panel ll. When the ironing board 42 has been elevated, asdescribed, the wings 55 may be unfolded onto the ledges 56 of the doors3| to be supported by said ledges and doors as best shown in Figures 6,7 and 8. To store the ironing board 62, it is merely necessary to rotatethe cams 85 so that the straight edges 8i: thereof are uppermost andbelow the partiticn panel 22, then tilt the ironing board 42 upwardly atits front end to withdraw the front end of the tongue 48 out of theaperture 95], after which. said board-42 may be lowered at its frontend, for a purpose which will be clear, and released for retraction intothe cabinet 9 and chamber 30 by means of the spring after the wings 55have been folded onto the ironing section 48 in the manner illustratedin dotted lines in Figure 8.

As will be seen, the ironing 42 being stored as described, the wagon maybe used as a serving wagon with the top panel I! forming a table topadapted to be used for serving purposes.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, modifications of the invention described, both as regardscombinations of parts and structural details, may be resorted to,without departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A wheel supported cabinet having a pair of upper doors hinged toopposite sides of the cabinet at one end thereof and opening outwardly,a tongue on said end of the cabinet swingable upwardly, an ironing boardslidable partway out Of said end of the cabinet past the opened doorsinto projected position, means on said board for interlocking the samewith said tongue whereby said tongue when swung upwardly acts as asupport for said board, and coacting devices on said doors and board forsupporting the board at the sides thereof on said opened doors.

2. A wheel supported cabinet having a pair of upper doors hinged toopposite sides of the oath inet at one end thereof and openingoutwardly, a tongue on said end of the cabinet swingable upwardly, anironing board slidable partway out of said end of the cabinet past theopened doors into projected position, means on said board forinterlocking the same with said tongue whereby said tongue when swungupwardly acts as a support for said board, and coacting devices on saiddoors and board for supporting the board at the sides thereof on saidopened doors, comprising ledges on said doors and wings on said boardhinged to fold down onto said ledges.

3. A wheel supported cabinet having a doorway therein, an ironing boardslidable partway out of said doorway into projected position andvertically adjustable, spring means opposing sliding of said board outof said doorway, and means on said board for interlocking the same withthe upper edge of the doorway by vertical adjustment of said board tolock the same in pro- J'ected position against retraction by saidspring.

4. A wheel supported cabinet having a doorway therein, an ironing boardslidable partway out of said doorway into projected position andvertically adjustable, spring means opposing sliding of said board outof said doorway, means on said board for interlocking the same with theupper edge of the doorway by vertical adjustment of said board to lockthe same in projected position against retraction by said spring, androtary means in said cabinet operative from the exterior thereof toadjust said board.

5. A wheel supported cabinet having a pair of upper doors hinged toopposite sides of the cabinet at one end thereof and opening outwardly,a tongue on said end of the cabinet swingable upwardly, an ironing boardslidable partway out of said end of the cabinet past the opened doorsinto projected position, means on said board for interlocking the samewith said tongue whereby said tongue when swung upwardly acts as asupport for said board, coacting devices on said doors and board forsupporting the board at the sides thereof on said opened doors, normallyapplied wheel brakes, and means on said tongue operative when said boardis interlocked with said tongue to release the brakes.

JAMES J. GROSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 495,799 I-Ianmore et a1 Apr. 18,1893 1,974,263 Cruz Sept. 18, 1934

